Speedometer.



A. W. WESSOLECK.

SPEEDOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1918.

JW/k MAW Patented J an. 7, 1919.

Snuemfoz 50 teeth 7 and held to'the dial b'y-clips 8 sea fcured to the dial. 9 is a; contact carried by :ometer; vTheleontact 9 is then adjusted to STA ES PAT OFFICE AUGUSTUS w. w'EssoLE'Cn, OF NEW BRITAIN,-CONNECTICUT, Ass crnon TO THE AMERICAN HARDWARE CORPORATION, OF NEW BRITAIN. CONNECTICUT, A

ORPORATIO OF CONNECTICUT.

' JsPEEDoMET R- i To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS W. WEssowon, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have inventeda certain new andnseful Improvement in Speedometers,

of whichthe following'is a full, clear, and

exact description.

of a motor or internal combustion engine 1 when the speed reaches a predetermined point. It also hasflfor its object to provide a speedometer which can be adjusted as to the limiting point and be substantially proof against resetting by unauthorized persons.

'It'further has for its object to provide such'speedometer with a new and improved adjustable contact carrier and means for adjusting the same. I

The following is a description of a speedometer embodying'my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, .in which: I a t Figure 1 is a .plan of a speedometerembodying my invention;

F 1g. 2 1s a v1ew of the same partly inside elevation and partly in section in connection with a circuit and thereby; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of. .the setting a throttle"controlled means;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the speedometer;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the toothed ring and bearing for the inner end.

of the setting spindlefyand Fig. shows a modification of certain de tails. i t

Referring more particularlyto thedraW- ings, lisa speedometer casing; 2 is ashaft mounted therein and carrying a-speed indication pointer, 01' responsive contact 3, the shaft being actuated by anysuitable means so that its angular'movem'ent corresponds to the speed of the fiexible'shaitlzonnecti'on 4, which drives the speed responsive m'echa-.

- 3 engages the Contact 9.

The magnet 14 acts upon an armature 15 o The dial has'a scale 10 thereon indicating the speed in miles per hour for any "given I position of the pointer. 11 is a brush car- Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

ried by the dial and heldagainst the lower I surface of the ring 6 by a" spring 12 secured to the dial. This brush is connected to a circuit which contains a source of current 13 and an electromagnet 14, and has its other end connected to the casing 1 so that the magnet and battery are in series with the J po1nter 3 and the contact 9, and thecircuit therethrough is completed when the pointer which, when actuated by the'magnet, controls the motor. In the embodiment shown it actuates a rack 16 engaging a gear 17 connected to a throttle 18 controlling the fuel supply of an internal combustion engine so as to closg the throttle and'cut oil the supply. .A-spr ing 19 tends to restore the throttle to open position.

. The vcasing is provided'with an opening 20 opposite a bearing 21 into which the end 22 of a spindle 23, having a gear 24,- can be inserted so that the gear will be in engagement with the teeth 7 -of'the ring gear 6. Turning the spindle will move thering 6 so'that the contactc9 can beset at any posi- I 'tion alonggthe scale on the dial. The spindle can'then e'removed whereupon the contact is virtually fixed against re-setting by unauthorized persons not provided with a similar spindle. The spindle being controllable bythe authorized person enables the speed 'ofthe vehicle to be controlled by that person.

In the modification the dial 5 is made oi metal and the ring 6 is separated therefrom nism. 5 is a dial made of insulatingjmaterial. 6 is a metallic ring 'provided-fwiths the ring 6 and lying inthefpathfofthe by an'i nsulating ring 5 carrying clips 8 Y and secured to the dial.

The brush 11 and spring 12 are also insulated from the metallic dial. With this construction the speed limiting means can be applied to speedometers having metallic dials without substitution of a non-conducting dial.

' In using'this speedometer with internal combustion enginesfor controlling the fuel supply the throttle is provided with the elec tromagnet and rack, connections being made with v.a suitable source of current and with the spring 12 and casing 1 of. the speedinter 3 that it may be engaged thereby. the desired maximum speed by the geared spindle 23 andthe spindle removed. The

chauffeur is thereupon prevented from drivv y 18 and cut Ofi the fuel supply.

ing'his motor above a given speed, since, if- ;the speedrises so as to cause the pointer 3 to engage the contact 9, the ma comes energized so as to close t e throttle The nature of the device actuated by the electromagnet device for controllingthemm tori depends upon, the kind of motorv employed and upon the manner of control desired. Where an internal combustion en gine is employed I prefer to control the from thesp '1. In a speedometer.

power through the'fuel supply rather than by short circuitingtheignition, sinceby so doing the dischargemanifold and muffler do not become filled with an explosive mixture when the power is shut ofi so as to be'liable appended claims. What I claim is:

having a casirig,'the

{combination of a movable contact responsive ,to Variations 1n: speed, a dial inconnectionwith which said contact indicates such varia-v tions by anangular movement about the center of said dial, a ring'carried .bysaid' dial and secured thereto at points adjacent to its periphery so as to be movable about thecen v nseoja i et 14 beit thereof or. the scope of the fried by said dial.

ter of said dial, a contact carried by said u ring. and insulated from said speed respon sive contact, conducting terminals electri ca'lly connected to said two, contacts respectively, and controllable means for rotating saidring-and adjusting the contact carried thereby about the axis, of rotation of saidmovable contact.

Y 2. In a speedometer having a casing, the combination of a movable contact responsive to variations in'speed, a dial, a toothed ring movably mounted within "said casing and adjacent to the periphery of said dial, a con- I tact carried by-said ring and insulatedfrom said speed-responsive contact, conducting terminals electrically connected to said two contacts respectively, and a removable geared spindle insertible through said casing so as to engage the teeth on said ring.

3: 'ln'a speedometer having acasing, the

combination of a movable contact responsive to variations in speed, a dial, a toothed ring movably mounted within sald casing and adjaoent to the periphery of sald dial, a contact carried by said ring and insulated from said speed-responsive contact, conducting terminals electrically connected to said two contacts respectively, a removable geared spindle insertible through said casing so, as

to engage the teeth on said ring, and a bear-:

ing for the inner end of said spindle caraueusrnsiw. wnssorncigf 

